Atomizing structure



Jan. 17, 195o K v, SMWH 2,494,590

AT'JMIZING STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 2o, 1945 1- 1 A. Y, s a

F-IGuE.

mvENToR n? Kem-f V. SMITH.

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. i7, 1950 l2,494,590 Y l A'roMrzrNG STRUCTURE Keith V. Smith, Wilkinsburg, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania.A

ApplcationAugListZi), 1945, Serial N0. 611,484

3 Claims. (Cl. 29e-12o) This invention relates to liquid fuel-atomizing nozzles, more particularly to nozzles of that type for use in gasturbine power plants, and has for an object to provide an improved device of this` character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid fuel-atomizing nozzle of compact arrangement providing for minimum axial length thereof.

These and other objects are effected by the` invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a liquid fuel-atomizing nozzle constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the front inner end of the nozzle core member Fig. 4 is an end view of the spring; and,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified construction.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, particularly to Fig. l, the nozzle 32 comprises a shell 50 having a cylindrical bore or chamber 5| therein, open at one end and closed at the opposite end by an end wall 52, provided with an emission opening 53 for discharge of liquid fuel.

Disposed within the chamber 5i, in abutting relation to the end wall 52 thereof, is a disc-like core member 54 having in its inner surface a recess providing a swirl chamber 55, communicating with the emission opening 53 in the shell end wall 52. The core member 56 and the end wall 52 are provided with mating surfaces-51 and 58, respectively, providing a seal against iiow of fuel therepast. l

Preferably, the disc-like core member 54 is of a diameter only slightly less than that of the cylindrical chamber in which it is disposed. Howfrom the cut-away portions 59 inwardly to the v swirl chamber 55, these passages communicating with the swirl chamber tangentially of the latter with the result that liquid fuel passing through -such passages to the swirl chamber set up a swirling action of, the ful within said chamber,

2 thereby promoting satisfactory atomization of the fuel leaving vthe chamber through the emission opening 53 in the shell end wall 52.

A concavo-convex disc spring 63 is dis-posed immediately rearwardly of the core member 54 with the apex or crown thereof in engagement with the rear wall vof the core member and with its periphery or edges substantially abutting the side walls of the cylindrical chamber 5i. The spring 63 is provided with a plurality of cut-outs 54 about its periphery (Fig. 4), thereby not only providing for ow of liquid fuel therepast, but also providing for increased exibility or resiliency. of the spring member.

The periphery or base of the spring 63 rests against a clam-ping ring 61, disposed rearwardly thereof and adapted to abut a retaining ring 68, which is held in assembled relation by upset portions of metal 5S, integral with the inner wall,

of the cylindrical chamber 5l.

Preferably, a lter member 10 having an annular at flange 'ii is disposed with said ange clamped between the clamping ring 61 and the retaining ring B8, the filter having a domed, central portion 12 serving to prevent passage of foreign matter, carried by the liquid fuel, to the swirl chamber 55.

The core member, the spring, the two rings, and the filter are assembled with the spring under compression, with the result that the spring holds the clamping ring in sufficiently tight engagement with the retaining ring to firmly clar'np the filter therebetween and likewise forces the core member 54 against the end wall 52 of the shell 50 with suiilcient force to prevent 'by-passing of fuel between the two mating surfaces 51 and 58.

It will be apparent that the arrangement just described provides a spray nozzle of relatively short over-al1 length while providing all the necessary elements in the form of swirl chamber,

' spring, and filter.

If it is desiredto provide an assembly which may be dismantled for any reason, such as replacing the lter, etc., it may -be preferred to use a structure such as illustrated in Fig. 5, which differs from the structure of Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, mainly in that the retaining ring 15 is provided with external thread 1-6 engaging with mating threads 11 formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical chamber 18. Backing off or unthreading vof the retaining ring is prevented by a cotter pin 'I9 disposed in mating bores 80 and 8| in the retaining ring and shell, respectively.

In Fig. 5 there is also illustrated a further change in that the inner` face 82 of the shell end wall I3 is slightly conical, thereby providinl fm greater depth of the swirl chamber Il than would be possible if the surface 82 were radial, as is the structure `58 in the construction of Fig. 1.

While the invention has been shown in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and mcdilications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid fuel-atomizing nozzle comp e shell having a chamber open at one end and closed at the opposite end by an end wall having an emission opening therethrough; a disc-like core member at the inner end of the shell oiber and having e. swirl chamber communicating Iwith the emission opening; a retaining ring in the shell chamber near the outer end thereof; retaining structure formed integral with the inner Well of the shell chamber and adapted to limit outward movement of the retaining ring; n fuel strainer having an annular ange adapted to rest against the inner radial face of the retaining ring; a clamping ring positioned inwardly of the fuel strainer and adapted to clamp the flange of the latter between the clamping ring and the retaining ring; and a disc-like concavo-convex spring compressed in the space between the clamping ring and the core member, whereby said spring urges the former into clamping engagement with the strainer flange and the latter into enaagement with the shell inner end wall.

2. A liquid fuel-atomizing nozzle comprising a shell having a chamber open at one end and closed at the opposite end by an end wall having an emission opening; a disc-like core member posi tioned at the inner end of the shell chnsaid core member and end wall having mating laces and said face of the core member having a swirl chamber formed therein in communicatien with 40 4 theemissionopeningandoneofsoimstinl feces being grooved for passage of liquid fuel put the mating faces to the swirl chamber; a retainlng ring disposed in the shell chamber nearthe open end thereof; means preventing outward movement of said retaining ring; a clamping ring located in the shell chamber inwardly o the retaining ring: e. domed iilter having an ennulsr e positioned between the two rings; and e concave-convex disc-like spring having new pessases therethrough positioned in the shell chamber between the clamping ring and the core member and bearing resiliently-egainst both, whereby the clamping ring is 'urged towards the retaining ring to clamp the lter therebetween, and the core mem-ber is urged against the shell chamber end wall to insure against lee of liquid fuel between the mating surfaces of said core member end end wall.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2, inclu means providing an abutment for supporting the retaining ring and for preventing outward movement thereof.

REFERENCES CETED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS 

